Maybe we do Have a Mom
by AsLostAsAliceAsMadAsTheHatter
Summary: The girls just want to be normal and celebrate Mother's Day. But who do they celebrate with? Bubbles seems to know, and they all remember exactly why this particular woman has earned the title mom. Yay! AU fluff!
1. Prologue

It was common knowledge that the Powerpuff Girls didn't have a mother. They knew it all too well, especially when Mother's Day rolled around. It bothered them of course, especially when they saw all their friends buying gifts. Now that they were teenagers it didn't bother them as much as it had when they were little, but it still hurt. So this year they decided to do things a little differently.

"Okay girls," Blossom, the leader and oldest by milliseconds said, "what are we gonna do?"

"Well," spoke Bubbles, who still retained her child-like innocence, "who do we look up to most?"

They turned to Buttercup, the only one who hadn't contributed anything to their discussion.

"What? I don't understand why we're doin' this anyway."

"Because," sighed Blossom, "we agreed that we wanted to be normal for once. That means we have to find someone to celebrate Mother's Day with."

"I still think it's stupid. The whole holiday is stupid."

"You're just saying that because you're jealous of everyone who does have a mom."

"Hey, what about Ms. Bellum?" Bubbles asked, successfully breaking up the brewing argument. The two other girls turned to look at her. "Well, I mean, she is our friend, and she does look out for us like a mom would."

"Huh, you're right, Bubbles. She does love us and we love her," said Blossom.

"Yeah, and we spend a lot of time with her, especially now that we're older," Buttercup added, having brightened at the suggestion of who they could spend the day with.

Each girl smiled and began to remember why they all looked up to her so much.


	2. Bubbles

Bubbles was always a sensitive child, and as such clung to the things that made her feel safe. At five years old, the list was limited to the Professor, her sisters, Octi, and Ms. Bellum, the only mother-figure in her life. The girls had begun to spend more time with her at their request, and since she was such an upstanding citizen, and the Professor's friend, he had no problem with it. It was during one of their sleepovers that this particular memory took place. Since they had begun spending the night, and since Ms. Bellum's house only had one bedroom, she made a sort of camp area in the living room.

The girls would bring their sleeping bags and spread out across the room. That way they were together and she still had her privacy. Not to mention that since the majority of the house, living room especially, was made of glass the girls could see the stars, making it seem even more like a camp-out. They had had a great night, telling stories, roasting marshmallows with their laser beams, even night swimming. But as did all good things, the night came to an end.

The older redhead had tucked them in, said her good nights, and headed up to bed herself. Bubbles was always uncomfortable with the dark, even with her sisters beside her. So really it was no surprise that the combination of Buttercup's scary stories, the view of outside, and the dark caused her to have nightmares. She woke up sometime around three a.m., the memory of her nightmare lingering and vivid. She lay trembling for several minutes before rolling to look at her oldest sister.

"Blossom?" she whispered. "Are you awake?" Silence was her answer, so she turned to face her other sister. "Buttercup? Are you awake?"

She didn't reply either, and though she was scared, Bubbles didn't want to wake either of them up. If she had been at home, she would have gone to the Professor. Even though he wasn't very good at comforting a scared and crying child, he was an adult to remind her that the nightmares couldn't hurt her. She felt the tears start up as she remembered her dream. She lay there for a while, too scared to go back to sleep.

Then it hit her. _An adult to remind her that the nightmares weren't real_. Ms. Bellum! She always told them if they needed her to go get her. Quietly, she wiggled out of her sleeping bag and floated up the small spiral staircase that led to the woman's room.

The door was open, probably so she would know if something happened. The young blonde peeked inside. The older woman was asleep on her side, back to the door. She bit her lip, torn between seeking comfort and leaving her to sleep. Eventually fear won out, so she floated across the room, landing silently by the bed.

Summoning her Powerpuff courage, she lightly tapped the woman's shoulder.

"Ms. Bellum. Ms. Bellum, wake up." She mumbled incoherently before turning to face the young girl. "Ms. Bellum?"

"Hmm? Wha- Bubbles?" she asked as she regained consciousness.

"Yes."

"Is something wrong?"

"I-I had a n-nightmare," she managed through fresh tears.

The older woman was suddenly much more alert.

"Oh sweetie, are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?" Bubbles shook her head no. "Do you need a hug?"

Mindful of her super strength, the child flew into the waiting arms as fast as she could without hurting the older woman. She buried her face in her chest and cried, feeling somewhat safer in the older redhead's arms. As she cried herself out, Ms. Bellum rubbed her back and whispered soothing words. As she wound down, she lifted her head to look the woman in the eye.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"That's okay, Bubbles. I'm glad you did. I don't want you to feel like you can't seek help when you need it." The little girl smiled a bit and detached herself from the older woman, but she didn't leave. "Are you going to be okay for the rest of the night?"

"Actually...I was wondering...could I stay with you?"

Ms. Bellum looked down into big blue eyes that still held a trace of fear and knew she couldn't refuse.

"Of course you can."

She slid over, making room for the small girl. Luckily, she had a queen-sized bed, so there was enough room for them both without it being cramped. Bubbles cuddled into her side, and smiled when an arms wrapped around her waist. She had never felt more loved than she did in that moment, and she completely believed that that was what it was like to have a mother. She drifted back to sleep feeling safer than she had after a nightmare in a long time.


	3. Blossom

Blossom prided herself in having extensive knowledge of several subjects. That meant she knew at least a little about everything, even things that weren't really important to crime fighting. But just because she knew a bit about everything didn't mean she was prepared for everything. The girls were twelve, and it was their weekend at Ms. Bellum's. A few years before, the two adults had arranged for them to spend alternate weekends at her house.

The Professor thought it was for the best since the girls were getting older and needed a female influence. Ms. Bellum agreed, since she loved them like they were her own. Blossom, as the oldest, had read up on puberty a little, just so she would be able to explain it to her sisters when the time came. But just because she had read about it didn't mean she understood everything. She acted like she did of course, because she hated feeling inadequate.

But even she couldn't control her own body. Her stomach had been hurting for days, and it never seemed to go away, only come in waves. She had managed to ignore the pain, but it only seemed to be getting worse by the time they got to Ms. Bellum's house. She was helping her sisters set up their sleeping bags in the living room when she felt a gush of water between her legs. She felt a blush rising on her cheeks as she realized what must have happened.

"Hey!" Buttercup said, catching Bubbles' attention. "Look, Blossom wet her pants!"

They burst into giggles, and Blossom could feel hot tears welling up in her eyes. Not wasting any time, she zipped into the bathroom in a flash of pink. She cried as she pulled down her pink jeans, (each of the girls had given up their dresses a few years back but still wore their respective color), and matching underwear. As she wiped away the tears to examine the damage, her eyes widened. She hadn't wet herself, she was bleeding.

Even though she was extremely smart and had read about this particular topic, she was still only twelve years old and the sight of blood waved away common sense. So she did what most twelve year old girls did.

"MOM!"

Ms. Bellum, who had been downstairs starting dinner, easily heard her scream and raced to the bathroom.

"Blossom? Blossom, what's wrong? Can I come in?" She could hear the girl crying and hyperventilating, and began to pound on the door. "Blossom?!"

Just as she was about to turn the knob the door creaked open. She pushed it the rest of the way open and stepped inside, shutting it behind her. The young redhead was sitting on the edge of the toilet lid, her pants around her ankles. When she heard the confirming click of the door, she looked up at the older woman, pink eyes filled with tears.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Ms, Bellum asked, crouching in front it the young girl.

"M-my stomach h-has been hurting a l-lot and then, wh-when I w-was helping Buttercup and B-bubbles set up their s-sleeping bags, I felt l-like I w-wet my p-pants, and then they s-started laughing!" she gasped around her tears.

The older redhead sighed, realizing exactly what was going on.

"Blossom, honey, has the Professor ever given you girls 'the talk'?" The girls shook her head no. "I didn't think so. Have you read about what this is?" A nod yes. "Okay, that makes this easier.

"When a girl about your age starts to grow up, she goes into puberty. Do you know what that is?" Blossom nodded yes. "Good. So, first of all as I suspect you've noticed, you didn't wet yourself.

"Instead, you've started your period. The blood is completely normal. It's the body's way of getting rid of a spongy casing in the uterus that keeps the baby safe if a woman is pregnant. When the woman isn't pregnant, that tissue is useless, and the body needs to get rid of it. The tummy ache is normal, too.

"It's cramps, the muscles in your uterus contracting to get rid of the old tissue faster. Now, your period only comes once a month, but it can last anywhere from three to seven days. And since this is your first one," she paused and reached under the sink, "I'm going to show you some ways to keep the blood off of your clothes."

She held up a small square wrapped in green plastic, and a thin plastic purple tube with a string on one end.

"What are those?" Blossom asked.

"This," the older woman held up the green square, "is a pad. You open it like this, and the glue makes it stick to your underwear. This," she held up the purple tube, "is a tampon. You press on this end and a ball of tightly pressed cotton comes out of the top. It goes inside you."

The girl looked disgusted, and the older woman had to suppress a smile. She threw both opened items in the small trash an beside the toilet. Reaching back under the sink, she came out with another pad and handed it to Blossom.

"Here, I think since it's your first period you'll be more comfortable with a pad."

She straightened and gave the girl the privacy to put it on. The girl stood and tugged up her underwear, but bit her lip as she looked at her pants. The older woman turned at her sigh.

"Is there blood in your jeans?" Blossom nodded, ashamed at herself. "Here, give them to me and I'll wash them. That way the Professor won't have to deal with this."

"But if I give you my jeans, what am I gonna wear for the rest of the afternoon?"

"Did you bring your tank top and shorts pajama set?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, why don't you put on your pajama shorts and I'll throw these in the wash. And then I'll talk to your sisters so they understand what's going on." She turned to go out the pants in the wash but noticed Blossom wasn't following her. "Blossom, is there something else bothering you?"

"I'm really embarrassed, in more ways than one."

"Why? This is a perfectly normal thing that every girl goes through at some point in their lives."

"Yeah, but Bubbles and Buttercup laughed, and there's blood in my jeans, and then you had to explain it to me, and I called you mom..."

She stopped as she realized what she had said. Ms. Bellum stiffened as she realized for the first time that she had responded to that name. It wasn't so much that it bothered her as it was that it occurred to her how natural it felt.

"I'm sorry," Blossom whispered.

"For what?"

"For everything, but especially because I called you mom. I didn't mean to, but I couldn't help it. It just slipped out."

Ms. Bellum felt her heart constrict as Blossom apologized for calling her mom.

"That's okay, sweetie. Now why don't you go get your shorts in and then we'll eat dinner. Does that sound good?"

"Yeah. And Ms. Bellum?"

"Yes?"

Blossom floated up and wrapped her arms around the woman's neck.

"Thanks for helping me."

"It was nothing, Blossom."

The young hero smiled as the older woman left to wash her jeans. It felt good not to have to be an expert, or the one in charge for once. It was nice to have someone like a mother to explain what she didn't understand and help her control it. And maybe she actually did mean it when she called her mom.


	4. Buttercup

Buttercup was more sensitive than anyone gave her credit for, but she was also the hardest to crack. As any normal child, she had fears of her own. But they weren't anything as sissy as what she branded Bubbles' fears as. She wasn't afraid of the dark, or bugs, or anything like that. She was afraid of more practical things, like rejection and heartbreak.

She was more emotional than what she showed to the world and even her family, because she wanted to keep herself safe. So it was no surprise that out of the three of them, it was she who was the most disconnected from the Mayor's assistant. That's not to say she didn't like or admire her; she did, but she was obviously not as close to her as her sisters. They seemed to think of her as somewhat of a mother, and the thought angered her a bit. They were the Powerpuff Girls, they didn't need a mother.

They had each other and the Professor, who else did they need? No one, that's who. And she still hadn't forgotten about Sedusa dressed as Ima Goodlady. No matter how much she denied it, she had let herself be hopeful for a spilt second. But that was all it took, and she still remembered the pain that accompanied the betrayal.

So when the redhead had slowly begun to inch her way into their lives she had put her guard up. At first she didn't really trust her, despite her being a good friend of the Professor's and an important public figure. But as she showed she could be trusted she grew to like her. She watched as first Bubbles then Blossom came to love and care for her deeply, but she just couldn't being herself to trust someone, other than her family, so deeply. And she would be lying if she said she didn't feel guilty about it.

Ms. Bellum had been good to them their whole lives, putting up with a lot of crap she shouldn't have had to, especially from a certain dark-haired girl. Yet she never seemed to grow annoyed with them. And really, she had many reasons to. The brunette grinned as she remembered the day she had fully opened herself to the older woman.

* * *

The Professor had to go to a convention in Citiesville, and needed someone to watch them. Blossom and Bubbles, though displeased, understood his concern and accepted it. Buttercup just flat out thought it was stupid. They were thirteen years old for crying out loud! They had been saving Townsville since they were five!

Surely they could take care of themselves for two days? Apparently not, though she'd never understand why.

"But Professor, we've saved the city more times than we can count! Why do we need a babysitter?" Buttercup whined.

The Professor, used to Buttercup and her quick temper, wasn't phased. He continued to pack the car calmly and efficiently.

"Oh, but I think you'll like this babysitter."

"Really? Who is it?" Bubbles asked, still clutching her Octi doll even at thirteen.

"Someone I think you'll get along with very well," he replied with a smile.

"It's not the Mayor again, is it?" Blossom asked warily, remembering the many mishaps that had occurred in the past when he was 'watching' them.

"No, it's not the Mayor."

She listened to her sisters and father go back and forth for a few minutes before her nerves wore down to nothing.

"Just tell us already! I'm gettin' tired of this guessing game!" she yelled.

"Geez, Buttercup, calm down. The Professor's just tryin' to have a little fun," Blossom said.

"All right, since you're so eager to know, I'll tell you. It's-"

"Me," came a familiar feminine voice from the front of the garage.

All four heads whipped around to face the speaker.

"Miss Bellum!" her sisters yelled, zipping to the woman for a hug.

They slammed into her at break-neck speed, a result of their racing, and she stumbled as she caught them. She laughed a little as they jostled to get the best position in her arms. Buttercup watched in silence, never having been one to openly display her affection, though her scowl had dialed back a notch as her mood lifted. At least it was someone she actually liked, as opposed to some of their other sitters.

"Hello, Sara, just in time I see," the Professor said, walking over to properly greet her.

"Well, I didn't want to keep you waiting. It's a long drive to Citiesville," she replied, readjusting the girls.

Fun fact about chemical x-it made the girls stop growing when they were seven. Their final height measured in at two feet and six inches, something that really ticked them off. Why should they be trapped in bodies the size of five year olds when they were obviously maturing normally? It wasn't fair, but Bubbles and Blossom did admit it came in handy, like when they both wanted a hug at the same time. And it meant that they could easily still share a room.

Standing by herself, Buttercup couldn't help but feel a little spark of jealousy toward her sisters. She knew, deep down, that she could have the same attention bestowed on her if she would just try. But she couldn't. She just didn't feel safe enough. She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard one of her sisters calling her.

"Buttercup! Aren't you gonna say hi?" Bubbles asked in that innocent way of hers.

"Hi," she grunted before flying a little closer.

The older woman, having known her her whole life, was unaffected by the rough greeting and simply smiled before answering back.

"Hi, Buttercup."

"Well, now that I know the girls are in good hands I'd better get going. I want to make it into town before it gets too late."

The Professor gave each one of them a kiss on the head before pulling out of the garage and driving away, leaving them with the only other adult who could be considered their parent. Bubbles and Blossom were both talking a mile a minute, which annoyed the heck out of Buttercup, but didn't seem to bother Ms. Bellum. They had finally floated out of her arms and she noticed Blossom was carrying a little overnight bag into the house. Buttercup shook her head to clear it and smacked the button to close the garage door before following the three inside.

* * *

Dinner had been just as loud as when Ms. Bellum had first arrived, and by the time it was over Buttercup was ready to scream in annoyance. Instead, she decided that beating some virtual monsters senseless would suffice. She headed down to the simulator in the lab and cranked it up to fifteen, the one (and only) level she had yet to beat, and the current highest setting. She stepped into the room and took a deep breath, releasing some of her tension in a sigh.

"Mission begin!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, and for the next few hours became immersed in a beginning-of-the-apocalypse version of Townsville.

She didn't realize she had an audience until after her twelfth time through, failing miserably yet again. She screamed in annoyance, and still panting, readied herself to go again. She stopped when she heard the intercom crackle to life.

"Very good, Buttercup, but you seem to falter when the giant squid and gorilla mutant teams up with the robot," Ms. Bellum's voice floated through the room. Buttercup glared at the observation window. "Perhaps you should take a break. Is there any regular gym equipment you can use?"

Anger ebbing, she nodded and exited the simulator. She was surprised to note it was past her bedtime, yet the older woman was allowing her to train some more. She was even more surprised to see the older redhead had changed out of her business suit, not into pajamas, but into a sports bra and Capri yoga leggings. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, completely revealing her face, strange since her hair usually covered most of it. She grinned at her.

"You don't mind a work-out partner, do you?"

"Not at all," Buttercup smirked, remembering how she had kicked Sedusa's butt more than once over the years.

They walked silently to the personal gym on the other side of the lab. It had all the newest equipment, partly for efficiency and partly because it kept getting destroyed. Buttercup immediately went to her brand new green punching bag, second only to her meat, and began beating the living daylights out of it. Ms. Bellum turned on one of the treadmills and began jogging as she watched the little girl release her fury onto the inanimate object. She wasn't stupid, she knew the girl should be in bed, but she hoped to use this as a sort of bonding time.

After about twenty minutes, she turned off the treadmill and headed over to where Buttercup was punching, just in time for the girl to punch straight through the bag.

"Aw man!" she groaned. "That's the third one this week!"

The older woman smiled as she got an idea.

"Since your punching bag is broken, how would you like a living, breathing partner to spar with?" Buttercup looked at her like she was crazy. "Don't worry," she laughed, "I know a few tricks. I can handle myself."

"If you say so," the girl shrugged before leading her over to a large mat. "The pads are over there, take your choice on color."

She took her up on that offer, knowing that even if the girl pulled her punches she could still injure her. She ended up with black pads that appeared brand new, and could only assume were the Professor's since the others were in the girls' distinctive colors. She also noticed Buttercup didn't bother with pads. Buttercup, on the other hand, thought she was insane. She could break her, for crying out loud!

Even pulling her punches she had no doubt she would leave more than a few bruises, and if she wasn't careful she could even break something. No amount of padding would protect her from the entirety of the attack.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked before they began.

"I never do anything I'm not sure of," was the reply, and they began.

Surprisingly, Ms. Bellum was able to hold her own. She even managed to land several good punches and kicks, displaying a martial arts style that Buttercup didn't know. The fight ended when she was pinned on the ground and looking up at the older woman in surprise and shock. She had never been pinned before, not even her sisters could do it! Yet, here was this ordinary woman who had done exactly that, not with ease exactly, but without too much work.

"Y-you pinned me. You won," she said in awe. "How'd you do it?"

So the older redhead taught the girl her martial arts style, or styles rather, as she had been using two. Enshin Kaikan, which turned the attacker's power against them, and Bojuka, which focused on strikes to vital areas. As the older woman guided her through the moves, she felt something shifting in her heart. If she would have focused on it, as she would later on when she thought back, she would have realized her defenses were breaking and falling away.

It didn't take her long to pick up on the moves, and when she felt comfortable enough they went at it again. This time, their battle lasted longer and was a little more even in the number of punches and kicks landed. It abruptly ended when Buttercup didn't pull one of her punches enough and knocked the older woman to the ground. Ms. Bellum a gasped and clutched her upper arm, the pain spreading like a shockwave. Buttercup yelped and dropped beside her to make sure she hadn't broken her arm.

"I'm so sorry!" she apologized as she gently fingered the rapidly purpling mark. "I was just so into it, I didn't mean to! I'm so, so sorry!"

"It's okay, Buttercup, I know it was an accident. I knew going into this that I wasn't going to walk away without a few bruises, so I guess I'm just glad it's not broken." The brunette still looked miserable, so she reached up and cupped her cheek. "Hey, I'm still breathing, I wasn't in any real danger like when Sedusa kidnapped me. This will fade in a few days and until then some mild painkillers will make it bearable."

"I guess you're right," Buttercup said, giving a small smile. She easily helped the older woman to her feet and, after she had removed her pads, they started upstairs. "Hey, Miss Bellum?" The redhead looked at her. "Can you not mention this to the Professor or my sisters? They probably wouldn't forgive me."

Ms. Bellum smiled in understanding.

"Don't worry, Buttercup, this will be our little secret."

The girl smiled and hesitantly wrapped her arms around the older woman's neck, mindful of her dark bruise. Surprised but happy, Ms. Bellum hugged her back.

"Thanks, Ms. Bellum."

"You're welcome, Buttercup."


	5. Mother's Day

"Okay, so it's settled," Blossom said as they each came out of their memories. "We'll make a card for Ms. Bellum. Now," she looked at each of them, "what do we want it to say?"

"Ooh, ooh!" Bubbles squealed. "How about 'You're the bestest mommy ever!' ?"

"No way!" Buttercup yelled. "We don't want to seem like we're five years old!"

"Buttercup!" the pink puff scolded.

"Do you agree with her?"

"Well no, but I think you could have said it a little nicer." She thought for a minute before snapping her...fingers. "How about 'The perfect family has the square root of sixteen parts. A mom and three daughters. We square root you as a mother.'"

"That's even worse!" Buttercup groaned from her place on the bed. "Math puns and baby sentiments, you two are hopeless!"

"Well how about you, miss Smart Mouth? You got any bright ideas?" Blossom challenged, hands on hips.

"Yeah, actually, I do. How about we all make our own cards. At least that way I don't have to deal with a nerd and a cry baby."

"That might actually work," the redhead said thoughtfully.

Buttercup smirked triumphantly. Each girl then gathered the necessary items for their separate cards. The house settled into a calm silence for the rest of the afternoon as the three worked on what they each believed to be the best Mother's Day card in existence. The Professor only worried a little at the silence but also thought it a welcome change from the usual screaming matches. By bedtime, each card was complete and propped on the shared vanity, eagerly awaiting the next morning.

The first thing Blossom did when she woke up the next day was place a call to Ms. Bellum. It was one of the rare days she didn't have to go into work and the young girl wanted to make sure she didn't have any plans. She didn't, and it was all the younger redhead could do to keep from squealing in excitement. Instead she calmly asked if it would be all right if they came over for a little while. The smile in the older woman's voice was obvious as she granted permission.

Blossom turned to face her sisters with a smile on her face as she hung up.

"She said yes?" Bubbles asked.

"Yep," she reported happily.

"There's just one problem," Buttercup said with a frown.

"What?" Blossom asked apprehensively.

"We don't have anything to give her besides the cards."

"Why didn't you bring this up earlier?" Blossom yelled as she frantically tried to get dressed and break open their piggy bank at the same time.

"I thought you knew," the brunette said with a shrug.

"What are we gonna do? All the stores have probably already sold all the good stuff," Bubbles voiced while she swung her legs over the edge of the bed.

"I guess we'll just have to hope for the best. Come on girls, she's expecting us at one. That gives us," Blossom glanced at the clock, "three hours to scour every store in Townsville for the perfect gift."

Nodding, the two remaining puffs dressed and together they shot out of the house, calling out that they would be back later. The Professor scratched the top of his head but shrugged it off, thinking the Mayor had called and needed them to defeat another monster.

Two and half hours, and thirty stores later, found the girls staring up at the last store in Townsville, which also happened to be the most expensive. They gulped and pushed open the door. Almost immediately they were swarmed by sales clerks trying to assist them. They kindly declined the attention, preferring to look around on their own. Time was ticking away, and just when they thought they would have nothing to give her, they spotted it.

There in the main display case, resting on a velvet pillow, was a ten carat ruby necklace surrounded by smaller diamonds. The stone was cut into a tear-drop shape, and glittered brightly in the light from the case. They all swooped over to it, mesmerized by it. The owner, who had been watching them the entire time, came over to assist them.

"Does something interest you?" he asked calmly, though he knew quite well they were interested.

"This necklace, how much is it?" Blossom asked, pointing to he impressive jewel.

"Let's see, that's our ten carat blood ruby surrounded by one carat diamonds. It's one of the more expensive and delicate pieces. It was imported from Italy a few years ago. I'd say the lowest I could let it go for would be three-thousand five-hundred dollars."

Blossom and Bubbles' jaws hit the floor upon hearing the price, but Buttercup simply smirked.

"W-we can't afford that," Blossom stammered as she looked at the man.

"Then I'm afraid I can't sell it to you," he replied, a bit of bite to his tone.

This made the green puff sneer as she floated up to him and grabbed the lapels of his suit.

"Listen buddy, we save the city on a daily basis. If memory serves I recall getting back a certain diamond set from a certain female villain a few months back. And I remember a certain someone who promised a favor."

The man paled as he recalled his promise. Her never intended for it to be for something quite so valuable. Actually, he never thought he'd have to make good at all.

"O-of course," he stammered as Buttercup released him. "In light of that event I'll allow you to have it for a mere three hundred dollars."

"That's still too expensive," Blossom said with a defeated sigh. "Come on girls," she said sadly, glancing at her watch. "It's almost one. Ms. Bellum will be expecting us."

"Hold on, Blossom," the brunette girl said as she removed something from her pocket. "Here," she said, handing over the card to the stunned jeweler, "that should take care of it."

"Is that the Professor's credit card?" Bubbles asked.

"Sure is," Buttercup said with a grin.

"Buttercup, you know we're only supposed to use that in emergencies!" Blossom hissed.

"Relax, will 'ya? I think this qualifies as an emergency."

Before the leader could say another word the store owner had handed Buttercup a medium sized box with a small black bow. Not bothering to argue now that the necklace had been paid for, the pink puff simply sighed and flew from the store, her sisters following. They stopped by their house quickly to gather their cards and then they were off, nervous yet excited. Landing on the older woman's porch, they took a moment to admire the view before ringing the bell. They heard footsteps on the other side, and held their breath as the door opened.

Ms. Bellum answered wearing a pair of acid wash jeans and a red tank top. She was also barefoot, they noticed with some amusement. She had taken to dressing extremely casually on her days off, and by this point the girls had seen her in almost everything. Tanks tops, bikinis, shorts, fancy dresses, anything. She smiled and beckoned them in, immediately heading into the living room.

The girls stopped just inside the door, kicking off their shoes before following her. They had learned years before that her house was pretty much their second home, and were encouraged to make themselves comfortable whenever they visited. They found the older woman draped across the couch, calmly waiting on them, tv on mute in the background. They grinned at each other, finding her ability to act like a teenager amusing. They made themselves comfortable in the chairs surrounding the coffee table, getting comfortable before facing her.

"So girls, how's your day been?" Ms. Bellum asked, half focusing on whatever was on tv.

"Hectic and frustrating," Blossom said.

The older redhead turned to face her.

"Why?"

The three looked at each other before floating over and surrounding her.

"Happy Mother's Day!" they chorused, hugging her.

Stunned, she wrapped her arms around them, surprised that they had thought of her. They released her, backing up a bit and brandishing their cards. She took them almost numbly, shock coating all of her senses. Each card was as different from the others as night and day, and expressed each girl's personality clearly. She began with Blossom's, the pink and red drawing her attention.

She couldn't help but grin at the bad pun, opening it only to have the smile slip off her face. _'Dear Mama,'_ it began, and she felt her heart swell at the title, _'you've always been there for me. Through the ups and downs, the laughter and the sadness, and even the embarrassing moments. You've molded me into the young woman I am, and I can't imagine life without you. You're a part of our family, even though we aren't linked by blood._

_On this day, your day, I thank you, and I salute you. I hope to be half the woman you are as an adult. I love you, Mama. Happy Mother's Day. Blossom.'_ She was in tears by the time she finished reading. Bubbles and Buttercup looked at each other in confusion. They had no idea what the inside of Blossom's card contained, just as they had no idea what was inside each other's card. Buttercup smacked her in the shoulder.

"What did you do?" she hissed.

"Nothing," the girl responded before being enveloped in the older woman's arms.

She felt kisses pressed to her hair and her face and blushed, having not expected such an emotional reaction.

"Thank you, Blossom," Ms. Bellum said, tears still tracking down her face. "You have no idea how much that means to me."

"You're welcome," Blossom said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Floating back up to join her sisters, they watched as the woman proceeded to select Bubbles' card next. _'You're the bestest mommy ever!'_ the outside read, and Ms. Bellum laughed at the girl's innocence. _'Roses are red, violets are blue. You're amazing and I love you!'_ the inside said. Her eyes went lower, reading the short message underneath the poem.

_'To the woman who protects me from monsters, who soothes nightmares, and who tells me to emerge from my sisters' shadow. Who lets me shine and be myself, and who encourages me to be the best I can be, I hope you have the absolute best day possible. Happy Mother's Day, Mommy. I love you. Bubbles.'_

Her hand covered her mouth, fresh tears beginning to flow. She reached toward the blue puff, and the small blonde flew into her arms.

"Thank you, my sweet, sweet girl," she whispered into Bubbles' ear.

"You're welcome," she replied, kissing her cheek as Blossom had.

They all watched as she finally selected Buttercup's card, the outside plain except for the generic "Happy Mother's Day" message. Blossom and Bubbles looked at her in confusion, and she saw a bit of disappointment in their eyes. She glared at them before redirecting her attention to the woman who was now reading the message within. Ms. Bellum read the words inside, the tears flowing faster and faster at the message.

_'Ms. Bellum,'_ it began, _'where to begin? You've been there for me my whole life. You've seen me grow up and answered all my questions. You've guided me and supported me, no matter if you agreed with my choices or not. You've earned my respect, which I do not give freely, though I'm sure you've noticed that._

_If anyone has earned the right to be called my mother, you have. I know I don't often express my affection, but I want you to know it's there, burning just as strongly as my love for my sisters and the Professor. It just took me longer to admit it. _

_So now I thank you. Thank you for seeing through the tomboy façade to the real me. The little girl yearning for affection but not knowing how to trust or ask for it. Thank you for putting up with me, and not being discouraged every time I took out my anger on you. And mostly, thank you for loving me._

_So I say to you, my friend, my supporter, my mother, I love you. Hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day. I love you, Mom. Buttercup.' _

Ms. Bellum was openly sobbing. Buttercup could sense her sisters glaring at her, but all she did was float down and embrace the woman. She felt arms wrap around her shoulders in return.

"I love you, Mom," she said, causing the older redhead to sob harder.

"I know," she replied, breath hitching between sobs. She took a calming breath, lifting her head and looking at each one in turn. "Thank you, girls. It means the world to me that you think of me this way. I love you, each and every one of you."

She pulled them back in for another hug, a few more tears escaping.

"We got you something else," Blossom said, wriggling free.

"Oh, you shouldn't have. The cards were enough," Ms. Bellum tried to protest.

"But we wanted to," Buttercup said.

They presented her with the box, anxiously holding their breath as she pulled the ribbon off. She gasped as she opened it, revealing the shimmering pendant.

"It's beautiful," she said softly, half wishing she was wearing an outfit that would go with it.

"So you like it, then?" Blossom asked.

"Like it? I love it."

The three puffs looked at each other and smiled, relieved that she liked their present. She stood, crossing to the mantle and displaying each of their cards proudly. She turned and smiled at them, traces of tears still evident on her face.

"There now. Everyone will be able to see how wonderful this day has been," she said.

She settled back onto the couch, the girls sitting on her lap instead of in their own chairs. She reached over and flipped the volume back up on the tv, and the girls realized it was some movie on Lifetime. They watched for a bit, but soon grew bored with the film. They had learned years ago that the older woman enjoyed Lifetime movies, for whatever reason, so they kept quiet and simply allowed their minds to drift off. Before long, all three were asleep, the adrenaline fueled rush of the morning wearing off.

Ms. Bellum glanced down when she felt the three little bodies grow heavy. It somewhat surprised her that they had fallen asleep. They were fifteen years old, after all. But she didn't mind, it reminded her of when they were little and would fall asleep watching tv or after playing a game. So she didn't move them, merely slid down a little further and turned down the volume on the tv so that she could fall asleep as well.

Looking in, one would see a mother and her children napping on a warm Sunday afternoon. To someone none the wiser they looked like a perfect little family, minus a father. The girls had gotten their wish, to have a normal Mother's Day. And little did they know, it was to become a tradition in the years to come to celebrate with the older woman. And if anyone in Townsville thought it odd to hear cries of "Hi, Mama!" or "Let go of our mother!" or "Mommy/Mom/ Mama, she...!" depending on which girl was speaking, they never mentioned it.

Instead, they smiled and acknowledged the relationship for what it was: love between a mother and her children.


End file.
